This will be my 1st handgun, but I'm going through the 10 days waiting period for a Remington 870 12ga. now.

I have been looking at the GLOCKs a lot because I thought I was going to get a 9mm G17 as my HD/ range plinker. Then after a few weeks perusing the various webpages, I am really drawn to the 1911 pistols, and narrowed it down to a 1991A1 .45ACP from Colt. Both prices are comparable, 550 for the G17, and 600 for the Colt.

I like the G17 because it's a GLOCK, a no-nonsense gun, the name GLOCK just says a lot. The 1911/1991 has great history and is a great icon, also could be a collector's item in the future?

This might be my only handgun, my wife is already aprehensive about having a firearm in the house, the 12ga. It was sort of my birthday gift so she gives in on that, so for the pistol, whether it be the G17 or 1991A1, I need to consider as if it's the only pistol I will have. So any insights, suggestions, comments are appreciated

A side question about CA gun law, how many firearms can a Californian purchace in any given period, any restirctions?

As a fan of both 1911's and Glocks I'd slightly lean toward the Glock 17 if this is your first and only handgun for awhile. 9mm is much cheaper to practice with and effective. The Glock is also cheaper and easier to maintain in the long run as well. 9mm Glocks are very robust reliable platforms for the 9mm cartridge. Get good defensive loads like Winchester Ranger, Remington Golden Saber, or Speer Gold Dot, maybe better fixed/nightsights, and you're set. Practice dry fire for accuracy and trigger reset for speed. The Glock 17 is one of the most effective combat pistols in the world.

One big question is which one fits you better and shoots better for you. Try them out at a range, and the question should answer itself, as they're totally different guns with totally different handling and ergonomics.

For a new handgun owner looking for a defense weapon, I'd recommend a Glock or its equivalent in another brand (I hate the fit of Glocks). It's a simpler pistol to operate, while any SA semi-auto takes more practice and has more to go wrong in the heat of the moment. With a Glock, XD, or whatever, it's much more point'n'shoot.

9mm is much cheaper to practice with, while .45 acp has more muzzle energy, but accuracy and shot placement are far more important than muzzle energy.

A modern 1911 that you buy to shoot isn't going to be collectible pretty much ever. 1911s probably hold their value slightly better than the G17, which drop a lot once you fire them (like most new guns).

If I were buying a single pistol for home defense and didn't have a lot of experience, I'd buy an XD, or a Glock if they fit me.

One big question is which one fits you better and shoots better for you. Try them out at a range, and the question should answer itself, as they're totally different guns with totally different handling and ergonomics.

+1. Glocks work for me. I have a few 1911s but haven't been able to get really comfortable with them. The beaver tail grip coupled with the power of the .45acp hurts the palm of my hand pretty good.

it all depends what you want out of handgun platform and what you feel better with. There alot of misconceptions about both the glock and the 1911. please do your research before picking a platform. feel free to around here for specific questions...thats what we're for.

For your described intentions you'd be better served by a Glock or XD. Look into the G-17, G-19, and XD-9 Service. All three are excellent pistols, very easy to operate and maintain, and will serve you well for both range & home use. I added the 19 in case you intend to get your wife to try shooting it as well.

The 1911 is an outstanding platform, but doesn't sound like what your situation calls for unless it really attracts you that much. As others said, 9mm is much more affordable to shoot, so you'll be able to use & enjoy a 9mm pistol more.

Get what you will be happy with in the end. Glock has come along way with fixing their initial issues and 1911 is well.... the standard at which most other guns derived from. Just dont fool yourself into thinking its only for one purpose. Explore the other facets of a handgun and its uses...ie personal protection/competition...when deciding on a caliber. Take a NRA class or private instruction to go along with it.

You will probably wind up getting both eventually. With each passing day that your 12 gauge doesn't leap out of the closet and go on a rampage by itself, your wife's apprehension will slowly melt away. After a year or two, you will save up enough money for a second handgun, and by then she won't mind when you go to buy it.

I'd recommend the glock to start with. It's easier for a beginner to shoot well with a glock than with a 1911, which is usually considered an expert's gun. Glocks are also much easier to clean. The 1911 will jam on you, which is irritating if it's your first handgun. Some will jam less than others, but they all jam if you shoot them enough.

I've owned both, and while the 1911 does have a certain romance about it, at the end of the day I do prefer the glock.

You will probably wind up getting both eventually. With each passing day that your 12 gauge doesn't leap out of the closet and go on a rampage by itself, your wife's apprehension will slowly melt away. After a year or two, you will save up enough money for a second handgun, and by then she won't mind when you go to buy it.

I'd recommend the glock to start with. It's easier for a beginner to shoot well with a glock than with a 1911, which is usually considered an expert's gun. Glocks are also much easier to clean. The 1911 will jam on you, which is irritating if it's your first handgun. Some will jam less than others, but they all jam if you shoot them enough.

I've owned both, and while the 1911 does have a certain romance about it, at the end of the day I do prefer the glock.

Ditto on the cleaning, 1911's are not the easiest guns to clean. I have a Colt 1991A1 Compact and a Colt 1911 Gold Cup Trophy, and I have never had a problem with jamming. I do know two people that have 9MM Glocks that have limp wrist syndrome and they both have problems with jamming. I don't have problems with them, but make sure your grip is good and tight.

__________________
The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by thoes who have not got it.
George Bernard Shaw

I own 1911'S (.45's) AND Glocks in diffrent calibers. For the the ONE and only semi-auto pistol, I will vote for the Glock. Echoing what others have already said, pistol is reliable, easy to use, accurate, almost maintenance free and ammo for it is inexpensive.

Good choice for one and only pistol....BUT

You still need to shoot one and see if the pistol fits you and your wife!

I got a 9mm for my first handgun (Sig not Glock) because of the price of ammo. My next gun was a 1911 a couple months later. Still glad I bought the Sig though. I guess my point is you should buy both.

You really should consider other guns if you're relying on the GLOCK name. The Smith and Wesson MP and Springfield XD are other popular plastics in a similar price range. Have you considered other non-polymer frames like the Sigs? One "new" handgun from a dealer every 30 days. You can buy as many as you want used though through PPT. I'm sure a smarter calguns member will clarify or has already posted a clearer answer above.

Where are you located anyway? You definietely need to hit the range to find a gun you really like.

Oh, and really, look at the price of ammo before you plop down for a 1911. They make 1911's in 9mm too.

Interestingly, when I introduced my wife to handguns, she felt more comfortable with the 1911 as the go-to, loaded-at-all-times weapon of last resort, because it had a safety. She was concerned that she might have an AD with the Glock.

But, inconsistently, she thought the S&W 629 (downloaded to .44 Special) was just right.

Go figure.

__________________
"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." Wayne LaPierre, NRA Press Conference, 12/21/12

If this "Could be your only handgun", I would also look at Sigs/HKs/Springfields/ect... If possible, I would either rent pistols or get with some friends that own some to actually shoot some before buying them. In the end I would buy the one that felt best in your hand. It was already brought up earlier, but the 1911 style pistol isn't the easiest to disassemble; however it isn't really that complex either if you can follow directions. I personally really like 1911 style pistols and would take one over a Glock (Yes, I own both). Glocks are a very simplistic pistol. They are reliable and accurate, I just would buy a Sig/HK/1911 style pistol before I bought another Glock. Just my $0.02

__________________If you loan someone twenty dollars and never see them again, it was probably worth it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoffmang

NFA is a long ways off as well it should be. Going after the NFA soon is like asking the girl you just met in the bar if she's into anal sex...-Gene

I bought a GLOCK 17 with the intention that this will be my only handgun for a long time, maybe ever if CA goes even more facist. However, I've been yearning for my childhood dream gun, a 1911-perferably a Springfield Armory TRP since it already has features I'd want in a 1911.

If you decide to go with a GLOCK I would suggest a model 22, or 23. Then in addition to a 40 SW you have the option of getting a 9 MM, and 357 Sig barrel as well. This would give you 3 hand guns for a little more than the price of one.

I have a 1911 and I love it, it has only jammed because of mag problems but other than that it has never jammed in 1200+ rounds. I have one 9mm handgun and that is a P38, but it is an all matching vet bring back so I don't want to shoot it that much. I am now in the market for another 9mm handgun and am stuck between either a Glock 17 or a USP. The Glock is a better price so I think I should go with that but I will probably end up with both eventually.

Get a glock if it's going to be your first gun. Very user friendly, easy take down. You'll get the glock bug. And if you live through that, you'll try a 1911- fall in love with the trigger (compared to your glock) then you'll have the 1911 bug Then before you know it you'll have more pistols than your wife/girlfriend would care to admit and you'll have equaled your gun investment with your local jeweler's line of credit.
Welcome!
Oh, and the information you get here from other Calgunners will more than likely break your wallet... more than once.
But remember, money can always be made.

my first pistol was a glock 22..that i later sold for a Colt 1991A1 that I still have. I really wish I would have kept the glock, but at the time I didn't want to wait to save money to get the 1911 and found an eager buyer for the glock-cash in hand.

Get a glock if it's going to be your first gun. Very user friendly, easy take down. You'll get the glock bug. And if you live through that, you'll try a 1911- fall in love with the trigger (compared to your glock) then you'll have the 1911 bug Then before you know it you'll have more pistols than your wife/girlfriend would care to admit and you'll have equaled your gun investment with your local jeweler's line of credit.
Welcome!
Oh, and the information you get here from other Calgunners will more than likely break your wallet... more than once.
But remember, money can always be made.

Get the 1911 first, tell the wife it's for HD.
30 days later tell her it's too expensive to shoot and you need a 9mm

My wife was afraid of dogs and guns.
Put your foot down, I did.
I now I have 2 big dogs and multiple guns......
She loves the dogs and enjoys going shooting with me...woohoo

__________________"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." - Teddy Roosevelt

I am going to echo what some other members are have suggested. I bought an XD as my first handgun and love it. But then I probably should have looked around more and I have now fallen in love with Sig Sauer handguns, They are very comfortable and accurate to say the least. No active safety, just a heavy double action first pull and a smooth single action on following shots. I have a P220 (.45acp), P225 (9mm), and a P226 (9mm) and I love them all, I will probably buy a P220 SAO and a P226 X-five in the future (in about 3-4 years because of school...) Give them a shot, their recoil is mild in that it is a alloy gun with a nice comfortable grip (IMO). Good luck and have a safe and happy time shooting what ever gun(s) you buy. :-)

Just a little hint when the little woman is not pleased to have a firearm in the house. Take her seriously. Address it now so it's not a bone of contention for the rest of your marriage.

Buy a safe now and let her know that you're doing so to keep the guns safe and prevent any accidents. If you want to have the handgun available get a small pistol lock box and mount it in the closet so it's not out in the open. The same thing with the safe, mount it out of sight. If she is the least bit apprehensive about guns she doesn't want to be reminded about them everyday by seeing the safe out in the open and having her friends see it in the house.
The other thing is don't sit there in the living room playing with the gun and telling her how "cool" it is, treat it seriously when she's around until she gets used to it being in the house. Play Rambo when she's not home.

1911 vs. Glock is a never ending battle. There are advantages and disadvantages to both platforms. I started off with Glocks and ended up with 1911’s. If I had to do it again, I would have picked a 1911 from the start. Better ergonomics, manual safety (“cocked and locked”), better trigger, etc.

Either way, you NEED to get proper training. If you’re in SoCal, take a ITTS course. THAT is more important than which pistol to buy. Also, practice a lot and often. It won’t be a happy day if you have a negligent discharge and kill the family dog or worse...

If you do decide to get a Glock, I would skip 9mm and get at least a .40S&W. Price wise, a 500 rounds of 9mm vs. 500 rounds of .40S&W isn't that far apart. The .40S&W hits harder and makes a larger hole. It does have a little bit more "snap" to the recoil but unless you have weak wrists/arms, it shouldn't be problem. I can easily do fast double tap with my .40's and hit center mass no problem.

Also, I would take a Steyr M40A1 over a simlar Glock any day of the week. It has all the pluses of the Glock but with improved ergonomics. If you plan on using it for home defense, I would also HIGHLY recommend that you invest in Tritium night sights no matter which gun you get and some sort of bright white LED light (either mounted on the gun or a stand alone flash light like a NovaTac or Surefire)

__________________“The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory.” - Aldo Gucci

Old rollmark, matte finish. Pretty decent deal NIB! Last night at the range I handled the SW1911, looks amazing. I have to say, there is nothing quite like a nice blued 1911, classy!

I think the questions comes down to yet another never ending comparison of 9mm vs. .45. Because I think the 1911 is naturally a .45 pistol. A 9mm 1911 just isn't what it should be, my opinion. With that in mind, the G17 is more realistic.